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Wednesday 29 March 2023
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Role in Murder for HireRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Connecticut man was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for his role in a murder for hire scheme in which a New Jersey-based political consultant paid him and another man to kill a longtime associate, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
George Bratsenis, 74, of Monroe, Connecticut, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Bratsenis’ conspirators, Sean Caddle and Bomani Africa, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder scheme. Africa was sentenced on Feb. 23, 2023, to 20 years in prison. Caddle is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2023.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April of 2014, Caddle solicited Bratsenis to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. Bratsenis recruited Africa, a longtime accomplice from Philadelphia, to join the plot. After Bratsenis confirmed his and Africa’s interest in the job, Caddle told Bratsenis that the target was a longtime associate who had worked for Caddle on various political campaigns.
On May 22, 2014, Bratsenis and Africa traveled from out of state to the victim’s apartment in Jersey City. After entering the apartment, Bratsenis and Africa stabbed the victim to death and then set fire to the victim’s apartment. After Caddle learned that the victim had been murdered, the following day, he met Bratsenis in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Caddle paid Bratsenis thousands of dollars in exchange for the murder, and Bratsenis shared a portion of those proceeds with Africa.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Bratsenis to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.
The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit.
Clay County Man Indicted for Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities to Obtain Paycheck Protection Program Loans, Filing A False Tax Return, and Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Christopher Leo Daragjati (33, Middleburg) with seven counts of wire fraud, ten counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of theft of government property over $1,000, and two counts of false representation of a Social Security number (SSN). If convicted, Daragjati faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, a consecutive minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, up to 5 years on each false SSN representation count, up to 10 years in prison on the charge of theft of government property, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Daragjati appeared in federal court yesterday. The court ordered him temporarily detained and set a detention hearing for April 3, 2023. No trial date has been set.
According to the indictment, Daragjati obtained the personal identifiable information (PII), including the SSNs of multiple victims. Using the victims’ PII, Daragjati went to the Lake County Tax Collector and the Orange County Tax Collector and obtained Florida Identification cards in the identity of two victims. Using the two Florida Identification cards, he then applied for three different Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the identity of the two victims. When applying for the three PPP loans Daragjati allegedly submitted numerous fraudulent tax related documents and repeatedly made false statements when completing the Small Business Administration loan application for each of the loans. In reliance on this false information, lenders approved the loan applications and Daragjati received approximately $150,000 in PPP loan proceeds for the three approved loans. As part of the scheme, he also set up bank accounts in the identities of the victims in order to receive the PPP loan proceeds.
In another fraud scheme Daragjati opened four commercial lines of credit with Sunbelt Rentals, using the PII of four victims. After being approved for the lines of commercial credit under the victims’ identities, he rented thousands of dollars of equipment. Rather than return the rented equipment, Daragjati pawned some of the items using the identities of various victims or otherwise disposed of the stolen equipment. In at least one incident, this resulted in a felony arrest warrant being issued and entered into the National Crime Information Center for a victim of identity theft.
In another scheme, in January 2022, Daragjati filed a false tax return, using the identity of a victim. In reliance on the false documents and use of the stolen identity by Daragjati, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) approved a tax refund in which he received a tax refund of more than $1,000 in under the assumed victim’s identity. Daragjati arranged to have the fraudulently obtained tax refund deposited directly into a bank account that was in the name of the victim but controlled by Daragjati.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Download IndictmentCivil Forfeiture Complaint Filed Against World War I-Era Documents Stolen from an American UniversityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the filing of a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of various World War I-era documents, letters, and photographs relating to Russian military personnel, including the diary of a Russian general, for the purpose of returning the antiquities to the American university from which they were stolen.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Antiquities allow us to see and study pieces of history from, in this case, more than one hundred years ago. The University’s important historical research was undercut by the alleged theft and illegal smuggling of these antiquities abroad. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, these records have been recovered and will be returned to their rightful owner.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court today:[1]
The United States seeks the forfeiture of documentary materials, relating primarily to the 1917 Russian Revolution and World War I Russian military personnel, that were stolen from a university located in New York, New York (the “University”). The stolen materials included the 1919 diary of General Nikolai Iudenitch, a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I, along with other documents, correspondence, and photographs that had been sent to an auction house located in Paris, France, (the “Auction House”) for inclusion in an April 2018 auction of Russian documents and books. The Auction House was not provided with any certificate of authenticity or proof as to the provenance of the materials. After a curator employed by the University recognized the items in a catalog published by the Auction House, the stolen materials were seized by law enforcement.
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Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation/New York City Police Department Joint Major Theft Task Force/Art Crime Team. In addition, Mr. Williams thanked authorities in France for their assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and Benet Kearney are in charge of the case.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Cedar Rapids Woman Sentenced for Harboring EscapeeRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids woman who harbored and concealed a felon who had escaped from a local halfway house was sentenced on March 28, 2023, to approximately 5 months in custody. Rachel Louise Monthie, formerly known as Rachel Louise Chronister, age 45, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the term of incarceration after a February 3, 2023 guilty plea to one count of harboring and concealing an escapee, Ricky Joe Vaughn.
In Monthie’s plea agreement, as well as at prior hearings in the Monthie and Vaughn cases, the evidence showed that Vaughn was sentenced in June 2015 to serve 96 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition illegally. Vaughn has an extensive criminal history extending back to 2001. In addition to his prior federal firearms conviction, Vaughn’s criminal history in state court includes felony convictions for theft and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
Vaughn was scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Michigan in February 2022. In December 2021, however, the United States Bureau of Prisons permitted Vaughn to reside in a Cedar Rapids halfway house with work release privileges. On January 10, 2022, Monthie drove to Vaughn’s workplace. In Monthie’s presence, Vaughn cut off his ankle monitor and threw it into a nearby ditch. Monthie drove Vaughn to a Cedar Falls hotel, where she provided food and lodging for three nights.
On January 13, 2022, Monthie drove Vaughn to her apartment in Marion, Iowa. Monthie allowed Vaughn to use her shower and placed a loaded, chambered firearm on an ottoman next to the front door. Monthie conducted countersurveillance against law enforcement, going in and out of the apartment on the false pretense that she was taking things from her vehicle. Deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) approached the apartment and knocked twice but received no response. Eventually, Monthie allowed the deputies inside the apartment and told them about the firearm. Vaughn was arrested without incident.
Monthie has a misdemeanor criminal history, including three drunk driving offenses, that extends over two decades. Before the sentencing hearing, Monthie’s pretrial release was revoked after she used methamphetamine and possessed a compressed air BB pistol. Monthie was later released to a halfway house but failed to comply with its rules concerning alcohol use and re-ordered by a federal judge into USMS custody.
Monthie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vaughn was sentenced to a time-served sentence of 154 days of jail. She must also serve a one-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. In August 2022, Vaughn was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for his escape from custody.
Monthie is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until April 20, 2023, when she is ordered to report to a local halfway house for up to 180 days.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the USMS.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-CR-80 (Monthie) and 22-CR-12 (Vaughn).
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Catawba Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Charges Following Fatal Fentanyl OverdoseRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Catawba, Virginia woman, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2021, pleaded guilty last week to a series of federal charges.
Ashley Blankenship, 38, pleaded guilty last week to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“While we have seen some progress in the fight against drug overdose deaths, fentanyl and other opioid poisoning-related injuries continue to be an issue in the Western District of Virginia,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “There are multiple tools to fight these issues, and my Office will continue utilizing all of them, including prosecution, support for recovery programs, community outreach, and other results-oriented solutions to these difficult community problems.”
“Combating violent crime, illegal firearm possession and narcotics distribution within our communities is challenging, but we are prepared to face each of them head on,” ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said. “ATF will continue leveraging our expertise as we coordinate and combine efforts with our local, state and federal partners to ensure that more illegal firearms and deadly narcotics are removed from our streets.”
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of October 19, 2021, a regular user of opioids was found unresponsive by law enforcement. Following the user’s death from a fentanyl overdose, further investigation by law enforcement revealed Blankenship to be the deceased user’s source of supply.
Officers made a series of controlled drug purchases from Blankenship in October and November of 2021, culminating in the execution of a search warrant at Blankenship’s residence. During that search, authorities recovered a large quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as six firearms, including two rifles. A subsequent search of her home was conducted at the time of her arrest, and additional narcotics and firearms were found.
Blankenship faces a potential sentence of fifteen to seventeen years in prison pursuant to a written plea agreement with the United States. A United States District Court Judge will determine the final sentence after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines and the sentencing factors set forth by Congress.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Roanoke Valley Regional Drug Unit, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Craig County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Butler Township man pleads guilty to gun, drug crimes punishable by at least 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Timothy Jefferson, 46, of Butler Township, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to drug and gun crimes that carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison.
Specifically, Jefferson pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl that carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. The defendant also admitted to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, a crime that carries a mandatory sentence of five years in prison consecutive to any other penalty.
According to court documents, from at least May 2021 until December 2021, Jefferson obtained bulk amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine for resale and distribution in the greater Dayton area. Jefferson and others would travel out-of-state to receive the bulk amounts of narcotics, driving the drugs back to Southern Ohio and staying in hotels along the way.
Jefferson’s plea details that he conspired to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Jefferson kept firearms to protect the illegal drugs and the subsequent drug proceeds.
As part of his conviction, Jefferson will forfeit three firearms, multiple rounds of ammunition, a Chevy El Camino and more than $55,000 in cash.
Congress sets the mandatory and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a hearing at a later date.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); members of the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit; Kettering Police Chief Christopher N. Protsman; and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, announced the guilty plea entered on March 28 before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith is representing the United States in this case.
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Big Stone Gap Man Sentenced for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Big Stone Gap, Virginia man, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia, was sentenced last week to 180 months in federal prison.
Gregory Miller, 47, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, between October 1, 2021 and April 2022, Miller was the source of supply of methamphetamine for a wide-range of drug dealers in and around the Wise County, Virginia area.
Miller regularly bought pounds of methamphetamine at a time from sources in West Virginia and Virginia before re-distributing it to co-conspirators for resale in Southwest Virginia. Miller sold “ice” methamphetamine, which is more than 97 percent pure. Law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Miller immediately before his arrest, and a search of his residence in Big Stone Gap revealed three firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition, even though he was a felon with multiple prior convictions at the time.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Southwest Virginia Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, comprised of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, the Norton Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Bath Man with Prior Sex Offense Conviction Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Wormley, 38, of Bath, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2017, Wormley was convicted of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child. In February 2021, Wormley possessed a cell phone containing approximately 800 images and two videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Yates County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Ronald Spike.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Bank robbery and 45-minute crime spree gets Texas man significant federal prison timeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 43-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for robbing American Bank in Corpus Christi and brandishing a firearm during the robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Anthony Dwayne Carrington pleaded guilty Jan. 4.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales handed Carrington a 51-month term of imprisonment for the robbery. He also received 84 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 135-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the extremely serious and dangerous series of events that led up to apprehension.
On Aug. 8, 2022, Carrington entered the American Bank – Corpus Christi South branch on South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. He approached the teller station while holding a silver pistol in his hand, pointed it directly at a bank employee and demanded he give Carrington all the money from the drawer. Carrington further warned the employee not to press the alarm or make a scene. Fearing for his life, the teller complied with Carrington’s demands.
Further investigation revealed two shootings that occurred a short distance from the bank within 45 minutes of the robbery - an attempted murder in a private residence and a homicide at P.F. Chang’s restaurant.
Authorities apprehended him after conducting a traffic stop later the same day. Carrington discarded the firearm used during the robbery and both shootings. The firearm was recovered by authorities in an empty grass lot.
Carrington will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Cocaine Dealer, Who Admitted Possessing a Loaded Firearm, Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Khary Owens, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. As part of Owens’ plea agreement, he admitted that he possessed a .45-caliber handgun, loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition, in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in September and October 2020 Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”) detectives conducted covert surveillance on a residence in the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue in Baltimore after receiving information that the house was used for drug distribution. Detectives saw Owens on the front porch of the residence and on the sidewalk in front of the house. During their surveillance, detectives saw Owens supply drugs by engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions.
As detailed in his plea agreement, detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence and for Owens’ person, which was executed on October 7, 2020. Detectives saw Owens arrive at the residence, then hang his vest and backpack on the front porch. When Owens saw the detectives approaching the residence, he ran inside the house and up the stairs, where he threw a package of 58 vials of cocaine out a second story window into the backyard. The package was retrieved by waiting BPD detectives. Officers entered the residence and placed Owens under arrest. From the backpack Owens left on the front porch, law enforcement recovered a .45-caliber firearm, loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition, a medicine bottle filled with a suspected cutting agent to mix with controlled substances, and drug packaging materials. Owens admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Tsuei, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conflict of Interest ViolationRead the Press Release
An Assistant U.S. Attorney pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally steering contracts to her spouse, in violation of the federal criminal conflict of interest statute.
According to court documents, Kathryn Drey, 55, of Pensacola, Florida, directed contracts from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida to companies in which her spouse had a financial interest, including while she served as chief of the office’s Civil Division. Drey concealed her spouse’s financial interest in contracts to conduct title searches in litigation defended by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Kathryn Drey committed a federal crime by enriching her family at the expense of her duty to the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable public servants who act with unlawful conflicts of interest, prioritizing financial gain over their ethical duties.”
“The public trusts Department of Justice employees to act with the highest integrity. Instead, Drey acted in her own self-interest to improperly profit from her official position,” said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Miami Field Office. “DOJ-OIG is committed to rooting out this kind of egregious misconduct and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
Drey pleaded guilty to one count of acting with a conflict of interest. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DOJ-OIG is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren Castaldi and Nicholas Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Taliek Lanier, age 23, of Albany, pled guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the names of other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
As part of his guilty plea, Lanier admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with the personal identifying information of three other people, which Johnson used to file false claims via the NYSDOL website. Lanier further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid $113,936 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Lanier agreed to pay $113,936 in restitution to the State of New York.
Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme.
Lanier faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on August 2, 2023 by Senior U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.
This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office, HSI, USPIS, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
22 Individuals Charged with Drug Trafficking in the Municipalities of Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, and Cabo Rojo, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 22, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a six-count indictment charging 22 individuals with drug trafficking in the municipalities of Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, and Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Aguadilla Strike Force are in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Mayagüez Strike Force, Mayagüez Homicide Division, and the Mayagüez District Attorney. This arrest operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.
The indictment alleges that from 2019 to the date of the return of the indictment, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Fentanyl, Tramadol, Oxycodone (Percocet), and Alprazolam (Xanax) in Majinas Ward, Las Guaras Ward, Cerro Gordo Ward, José A. Castillo Public Housing Project (PHP) in the municipality of Sabana Grande; Sabana Eneas Ward in the municipality of San Germán; Sabana Yeguas Ward in the municipality of Lajas; Parabueyon Ward in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, and areas nearby for significant financial gain and profit.
“The charges in this case reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that sow violence and fear in our communities. We will continue to work closely alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations throughout Puerto Rico and break the cycle of violence that they perpetuate,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“When I first came to San Juan, I said that violent crime would be amongst our top priorities. Today, I want to thank my FBI Aguadilla Team for helping me make good on that promise,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph González. “There will always be more work to be done, but this takedown dismantled an extremely violent criminal enterprise, which controlled most of the drug trafficking operations in the SW of Puerto Rico, with no regard for human life and no respect for law enforcement. I want to thank the USAO, IRS, USMS, PRPB Mayagüez Strike Force, USPIS, DEA, HSI, CBP and the Mayagüez District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in this investigation and their continued support to the FBI mission.”
As part of the conspiracy, the members acted in different roles to further the goals of the conspiracy, including acting as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The defendants had access to different vehicles which they used to transport money, narcotics, and firearms. They offered delivery services to their clients; they would meet up with clients at parking lots or wherever it was convenient to their customers.
The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. Twenty-one defendants are also facing a charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants are:
José Alberto Pagán-Casiano, a/k/a “Pito Cansio”
Victor Galindo-Padilla, a/k/a “Junito”
John M. Hernández-Méndez, a/k/a “El Buster”
Terril Rivera-Calder, a/k/a “TJ”
Julio Argenis Figueroa-Martínez, a/k/a “Argenis”
Renty A. Areizaga-García
Alexander Rivera-Casiano, a/k/a “Papal”
Gustavo González-González, a/k/a “Gotay/GTA/Negro/Tavo”
Christian Belén-Silva, a/k/a “Belén”
Michael Nazario-Rivera, a/k/a “Michael Bolso/El Pri”
Yomvier Torres-Ruiz
Jaime Rodríguez-Juliá
Victor Casiano-Alameda, a/k/a “Junito”
Rodney A. Santiago-Ramírez
Gabriel Olmeda-Mercado, a/k/a “Rasta”
Justin Carlo-Padilla, a/k/a “Donald Trump”
José M. Rodríguez-Torres, a/k/a “JM”
Alex Ramírez-Sánchez, a/k/a “Pote”
Axel Vélez-Denizac, a/k/a “Axel el Enano”
Shariel Mercado-González
Yehudy Toro-Vargas
Francisco Ayala-Vega, a/k/a “Cabra/Sico”
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Cordero-Romo from the Gang Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tuesday 28 March 2023
কুইন্স ম্যান রিয়েল এস্টেট জালিয়াতি স্কিমের জন্য দোষী সাব্যস্ত হয়েছেনRead the Press Release
আজকের আগে, ব্রুকলিনের ফেডারেল আদালতে, রাশিদুন বোখারী (Rashidun Bokhari) একটি কথিত রিয়েল এস্টেট বিনিয়োগ প্রকল্প থেকে উদ্ভূত ওয়্যার জালিয়াতির জন্য দোষী সাব্যস্ত হয়েছেন। বোখারী-কে 2022 সালের অক্টোবরে গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়েছিল। মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের জেলা জজ পামেলা কে. চেন (Pamela K. Chen)-এর সম্মুখে আজকের কার্যক্রম অনুষ্ঠিত হয়। দণ্ডিত হলে, বোখারী-কে 20 বছরের কারাদণ্ডের সম্মুখীন হতে হয়।
নিউ ইয়র্কের ইস্টার্ন ডিস্ট্রিক্টের ইউনাইটেড স্টেট অ্যাটর্নি ব্রিয়ন পিস দোষী সাব্যস্ত করার ঘোষণা দিয়েছেন।
কোর্ট ফাইলিংয়ে উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে, সেপ্টেম্বর 2015 এবং এপ্রিল 2018 এর মধ্যে, বোখারী ভুক্তভোগীকে লং আইল্যান্ড সিটি এবং কুইন্সের অ্যাস্টোরিয়াতে অবস্থিত চারটি ভিন্ন রিয়েল এস্টেট সম্পত্তিতে প্রায় 935,000 মার্কিন ডলার বিনিয়োগ করতে প্ররোচিত করেছিলেন। বোখারী মিথ্যা দাবি করেছেন যে কথিত রিয়েল এস্টেট লেনদেনে তার বিনিয়োগের বিনিময়ে, ভুক্তভোগী বিনিয়োগকারী সম্পত্তিতে 50 শতাংশ মালিকানা পাবেন। বোখারী রিয়েল এস্টেট লেনদেনের নথি জাল করেছেন যা তিনি ভুক্তভোগী বিনিয়োগকারীকে প্রদান করেছিলেন। প্রায় 1 মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার পাওয়ার পরে, বিবাদী বিদেশে তহবিল স্থানান্তর, বন্ধকী এবং জীবন বিমায় পেমেন্ট এবং এটিএম থেকে নগদ উত্তোলন সহ তার নিজের ব্যক্তিগত ব্যবহারের জন্য অর্থ অপব্যবহার করেন। তার আবেদনের চুক্তির অংশ হিসাবে, বোখারী ভুক্তভোগীকে 935,000 মার্কিন ডলার পরিমাণ ক্ষতিপূরণ দিতে সম্মত হয়েছেন।
সরকারের তদন্তে আরো জানা গেছে যে 20 ডিসেম্বর 2020 এবং মে 2022 এর মধ্যে, বোখারী কুইন্সে আরো দুইজন ভুক্তভোগীকে প্রতারণার জন্য একটি পৃথক স্কিমে নিযুক্ত ছিলেন। তার আবেদন চুক্তির অংশ হিসাবে, বোখারী এই দুই ভুক্তভোগীকে 191,100 মার্কিন ডলার পরিমাণ ক্ষতিপূরণ দিতে সম্মত হয়েছেন।
বোখারী এর দ্বারা ভুক্তভোগীরা বাঙালি বংশোদ্ভূত এবং তিনি তার স্কিমের জন্য তাদের শেয়ার করা জাতিগত পটভূমিকে কাজে লাগিয়েছেন।
যারা মনে করেন যে তারা বোখারী এর দ্বারা সংঘটিত অপরাধের শিকার হয়েছেন, তাদেরকে মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের নিম্নোক্ত অ্যাটর্নি অফিসে যোগাযোগ করতে বলা হয়েছে এই ঠিকানায় https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/report-crime
সরকারের মামলাটি ব্যবসা এবং সিকিউরিটিজ জালিয়াতি সেকশনের অফিস দ্বারা পরিচালিত হচ্ছে। যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের সহকারি অ্যাটর্নি লরেন বোম্যান (Lauren Bowman) প্রসিকিউশনের দায়িত্বে রয়েছেন এবং তদন্তের নেতৃত্বে ছিলেন নিউ ইয়র্কের ইস্টার্ন ডিস্ট্রিক্টের বিশেষ এজেন্ট মার্টিন সুলিভান (Martin Sullivan)।
বিবাদী:
রাশিদুন বোখারী
বয়স 57
অ্যাস্টোরিয়া, কুইন্স (Astoria, Queens)
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-58 (PKC)
Wisconsin Man Charged with Firebombing BuildingRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin man was arrested today on a charge related to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building.
According to court documents, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. Roychowdhury was arrested earlier today in Boston.
“According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.”
“This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”
“Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions.”
According to the complaint, on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison, Wisconsin. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.
In March 2023, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison, Wisconsin, to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, departing this morning. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport. Roychowdhury will have a detention hearing in Boston.
Roychowdhury is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston today. A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set.
If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, ATF, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the appearance in Boston.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Utah Lab Owner Admits $89 Million Health Care Fraud Kickback Scheme Involving Cancer Genetic Screening TestsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Utah resident today admitted his role in a $89 million health care fraud and kickback scheme involving genetic cancer screening tests (CGX Tests), Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Jordan Bunnell, 41, of Sandy, Utah, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count each of conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bunnell and others owned, operated, and had a financial interest in a marketing call center, a clinical laboratory, and a telemedicine company that conducted or arranged for a variety of medical tests. Bunnell and others paid kickbacks and bribes to various parties in exchange for referrals and orders for CGX Tests for beneficiaries of the Medicare program and other health care benefit programs, without regard for medical necessity. From October 2018 through July 2019, Bunnell and his conspirators caused a loss to Medicare and other federal and private health care benefit programs of approximately $89 million.
The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison; the charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. All three charges are also punishable by a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Sherman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention & Enforcement Unit in Newark.
bunnell.information.pdfTwo California Men Indicted for $150 Million Securities FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two California men have been indicted for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated securities fraud scheme that generated over $150 million in illicit profits.
Joseph A. Padilla, 53, of Carlsbad, Calif. and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, two counts of securities fraud and one count of attempting to cause the production of an identification document without lawful authority. Kevin C. Dills, 66, of Carlsbad, Calif., was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston via remote hearing on March 29, 2023.
According to the indictment, Padilla is a former stockbroker who was barred from the securities industry in 2012 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Dills is the former owner of a broker-dealer who was barred from the securities industry in 2001 by the SEC. Between 2020 and 2022, Padilla allegedly conspired with Dills and others to commit securities fraud by facilitating and participating in pump-and-dumps involving the concealed-control of the shares of penny-stock companies.
The indictment alleges that, between October 2020 and July 2022, Padilla and Dills participated in a lucrative pump-and-dump involving the shares of Oncology Pharma, Inc., a thinly traded company that traded on the over-the-counter securities market under the ticker symbol ONPH. As part of the scheme, Dills allegedly used two companies under his control to exercise convertible debt issued by ONPH and acquire nearly all of ONPH’s free-trading shares.
Dills, who allegedly used the two companies to disguise that he was an affiliate of ONPH, then transferred the ONPH shares to nominees of Padilla, who in turn, caused the shares to be transferred to a broker-dealer in the Cayman Islands with which he had a close association. Padilla and several of his associates then allegedly engaged in manipulative trading in ONPH to drive up the company’s stock price, after which Padilla allegedly began dumping ONPH shares to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States, while Dills caused ONPH to issue positive press releases. According to court documents, the scheme generated more than $150 million in illicit profits, $19 million of which Dills allegedly received through his companies for his role in the scheme.
The indictment further alleges that, between January 2020 and April 2021, Padilla participated in a pump-and-dump fraud scheme involving the shares of Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc., a thinly traded company that traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol FPWM. As part of the scheme, Padilla allegedly orchestrated the manipulation of Charlestowne’s stock price using his brokerage account and those of several other individuals. He then allegedly facilitated the sale of millions of Charlestowne’s shares at pumped up prices to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States, generating over $7 million in illicit profits.
Padilla was arrested on a criminal complaint in August 2022 and released on pre-trial conditions, which included surrendering his passport and not obtaining another passport. The indictment alleges that while on pre-trial release, Padilla attempted to acquire a fraudulent Ukrainian passport so that he could flee prosecution. Based on this alleged conduct, Padilla was arrested in January 2023 for violating his terms of release.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempt to cause the production of an identification document without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Drabick and Ian J. Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – David Wayne Radde, 60, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 120 months in prison. Radde pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
On November 10, 2020, Pima County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle driven by Radde for multiple traffic violations. A drug detection canine was called to the scene and alerted to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. Sheriff’s deputies then searched the vehicle and found 2.68 kilograms of methamphetamine inside the passenger area of the vehicle. Due to the large quantity of methamphetamine, Drug Enforcement Administration agents were called to the scene. Inside the trunk, agents found a loaded Taurus 9 mm firearm and $14,695 in cash. A criminal records check revealed that Radde had multiple prior felony convictions, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case with the assistance of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0940-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-044_Radde# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Agrees to Provide Sign Language Interpreters in Settlement of Claim that it Violated the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that an agreement has been reached with Orthopaedics, Spine, and Sports Medicine, LLC, d/b/a Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (Total Orthopedics), under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to resolve allegations that Total Orthopedics failed to comply with its communications obligations for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in places of public accommodations such as medical centers. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing fall within the protection of the ADA.
Total Orthopedics is an orthopedic clinic with locations throughout New York City, New Jersey, and on Long Island. The settlement resolves claims made by an individual who is deaf, that Total Orthopedics refused to provide her with appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including a qualified sign-language interpreter, to ensure effective communication during a medical appointment at Total Orthopedics’ location in Massapequa in January 2020.
Under the settlement agreement, Total Orthopedics has agreed to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified sign-language interpreters, to patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Total Orthopedics also agreed to update and maintain appropriate policies, to revise its training materials and provide annual training to its personnel, to post notices in its medical centers and on its website to inform patients of their right to auxiliary aids and services, and to cooperate with the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Eastern District of New York to ensure ongoing compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement. Total Orthopedics will pay $1,500 to the complainant.
“This Office is deeply committed to protecting the civil rights of all individuals and will not hesitate to vigorously enforce the laws protecting people with disabilities when necessary,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s resolution ensures that the deaf and hard of hearing will be able to effectively and efficiently communicate with health care professionals at Total Orthopedics locations throughout New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey.”
The United States’ case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekta Dharia of the Office’s Civil Division with assistance from Civil Rights Investigator Laura Riley.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that the office of a health care provider or any other place of public accommodation or public entity in the Eastern District of New York is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact this Office via the following link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights.
Three Brooklyn Residents Charged in Kidnapping New Jersey Teenager for RansomRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three individuals from Brooklyn, New York, were charged today in connection with a kidnapping for ransom that left a teenager with stab wounds after a dispute over a drug transaction, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Dennis Reyes Mora, 37, Alexander Cruz, 26, and Cindy Aleman Fernandez, 27, all of Brownsville, Brooklyn, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 17, 2023, after a failed drug deal in Delaware, Cruz, Reyes, Aleman, and another individual kidnapped the 18-year-old victim, who they drove through New Jersey and held for ransom in the basement of a house in Queens, New York. During the drive, the kidnappers bound the victim with tape and stabbed the victim multiple times. Once they reached the house in Queens, the kidnappers covered the victim’s eyes and bound the victim’s wrists and ankles with tape. While holding the victim captive, the kidnappers tortured the victim, including by running a knife on the victim’s neck, holding a gasoline-soaked rag against the victim’s eyes, burning the victim with cigarettes, and beating the victim. One of the kidnappers also threatened the victim with a gun and rounds of ammunition. Aleman looked on and laughed while the victim was tortured.
The kidnappers ultimately released the victim after the victim’s family, aided by law enforcement, paid a ransom. Before their arrest, the kidnappers tried to cover up their crimes by, among other things, removing and cleaning the seats of the car used in the kidnapping.
The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Hackensack Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Raymond Guidetti; the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella; the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety; the Clifton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Rinaldi; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Richard Berdnik; and the New York Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
reyes.complaint.pdfSuburban Chicago Health Care Company and Its Owner Ordered to Pay False Claims Act Judgment of More Than $25 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former owner of a home visiting physician company in suburban Chicago, who was previously convicted of theft from the Medicare program, has been ordered by a federal judge to pay more than $25 million in damages and penalties as the result of more than 4,000 violations of the False Claims Act.
AJIBOLA AYENI, 63, of Flossmoor, formerly operated DOCS AT THE DOOR, P.C., a home visiting physician company in Matteson, Illinois. In 2017, the government intervened in a sealed whistleblower lawsuit that had been brought against him and other defendants in 2013. The United States filed its own complaint-in-intervention against Ayeni and his wife, JOY H. TURNER-AYENI, 61, of Flossmoor, and their companies, including Docs at the Door, alleging that they had violated the federal False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims for Medicare payments for services not rendered, services that were not medically necessary, and services that were “upcoded” to a higher level reimbursement than was appropriate or provided. The allegations included that Ayeni and Docs at the Door had submitted thousands of claims for a Medicare service called care plan oversight, which they knew had not been provided. Care plan oversight is a covered Medicare service, where a physician who has certified a plan of care for a home health patient spends an additional 30 minutes in a calendar month performing certain oversight functions that are not related to the certification itself or a face-to-face visit with the patient, which are separately billed.
Also in 2017, Ayeni was charged in a related criminal case alleging care plan oversight fraud. That case resolved in a guilty plea on August 22, 2019, when Ayeni pleaded guilty to one count of theft or embezzlement in connection with a health care benefit program. In his plea, Ayeni specifically admitted that the Medicare program paid Docs at the Door approximately $523,600 from 2011 through June 2015 as the result of 4,367 false claims for the care plan oversight service that he, as the owner and authorized official of the business, knowingly caused to be submitted although he knew that care plan oversight service had not been rendered. He also admitted that he instructed others to create false documentation to support those false claims for care plan oversight.
On March 24, 2023, Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer granted summary judgment to the United States regarding the care plan oversight false claims in its civil case, holding that Ayeni and Docs at the Door are liable under the False Claims Act for those false care plan oversight claims to Medicare based upon Ayeni’s earlier guilty plea and his admissions within the plea agreement. On March 28, 2023, the court entered judgment against Ayeni and Docs at the Door in the amount of $25,589,300, made up of $1,570,800 in treble damages and $24,018,500 in civil penalties.
The ruling is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The government is represented in its civil fraud case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah North. The government was represented in the criminal case against Ayeni by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Daniel and Sarah North.
To combat fraud, the False Claims Act permits private individuals to sue for false claims on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene or take over the lawsuit, as it has done in this case, and to recover three times damages plus civil penalties, that ranged from $5,500 to $11,000 for each false claim submitted by the defendants during the fraud scheme in this case.
St. Louis Woman Admits Bank Fraud, Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis, Missouri on Monday pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and admitted committing both check fraud and pandemic fraud.
Nikia A. French, 30, admitted recruiting people on Instagram who were willing to let French use their bank accounts. French created counterfeit checks, deposited them in the accounts to which she had access and then watched until the bank made the money available. She then withdrew money or made debit card purchases before the bank learned that the checks were bogus.Between February 2022 and April 2022, French deposited or attempted to deposit counterfeit checks totaling at least $73,515 and received at least $34,109 in proceeds.
In the pandemic fraud scheme, French submitted two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in April of 2021, seeking a total of about $23,000 as a self-employed person. She falsely inflated her gross income, submitted false documents and lied about not having been convicted of a felony involving fraud in the last five years. She used the money at restaurants and clothing stores and took some out in cash, according to her plea agreement.
At her August 4 sentencing, French could face up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both.
In a 2019 bank fraud case, French was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay nearly $62,000.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.St. Louis County Man Admits Statutory Rape of Foster ChildRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted impregnating a minor and sexually abusing her when she was in foster care.
Edward Wiseman, 43, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felonies: coercion and enticement of a minor and solicitation of child pornography. He admitted sexually abusing a minor for multiple years and impregnating her when she was 14. After she was placed in foster care, Wiseman sent her naked pictures of himself and requested the same from her and met her to have sex when she was 16.
He initially lied to authorities when questioned about the rape and impregnation of the girl.
That victim’s younger sister told authorities that Wiseman had also sexually abused her. Wiseman disputes those allegations.
Law enforcement officers later found child pornography on Wiseman’s phone.
At his August 4 sentencing, Wiseman could face at least 10 years and up to life in prison for the coercion charge and at least five years and up to 20 years for the child pornography charge. Wiseman is also facing charges including statutory rape and statutory sodomy in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The U.S. Secret Service, the North County Police Cooperative and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Elmo Man Facing Multiple Charges After Shooting Rifle at Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment charging a St. Elmo man on several assault and firearms charges after he allegedly opened fire on federal law enforcement agents who attempted to serve an arrest warrant at his residence in Fayette County.
Dax Baldrige, 46, is facing seven counts of assault of a federal officer, seven counts of using a firearm in during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
“Fortunately, the law enforcement officers returned home safely to their families after the incident in Fayette County,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Attacks on those who protect us will not be tolerated.”
“As the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois, I am thankful and relieved that none of our task force personnel were injured or worse during this incident,” said David Davis, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois. “This incident highlights the danger our task force members and other law enforcement encounter on a daily basis.”
“This case serves as a grim reminder of the dangers that federal law enforcement officers face every day, while protecting our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge, Bernard Hansen, ATF, Kansas City Field Division. “As we did in this investigation ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on those that use firearms to facilitate acts of violence in Illinois, and across the country.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day and those who attack the people charged with protecting the public’s safety will be held accountable and brought to justice,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
“Fayette County Sheriff’s Office would like to reiterate that we are extremely thankful that no law enforcement , local or federal officers were injured during this incident. We are also extremely proud of all the assisting agencies response to the incident that aided in a peaceful resolution and that no one was injured,” said Fayette County Sheriff Ronnie Stevens.
On Oct. 17, 2022, task force members with the U.S. Marshals attempted to serve an arrest warrant to Baldrige at his residence in Fayette County when he allegedly used a rifle to fire multiple shots at the officers. After a 10-hour stand-off with police, Baldrige was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries were reported.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, Baldrige could face more than 70 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Illinois State Police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department are contributing to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Arshi is prosecuting the case.
Sexual Predator Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempting to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Teenager He Met on FacebookRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A Salt Lake City man was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment for attempting to meet a 13-year-old girl he was communicating with via Facebook Messenger – who was in fact an undercover officer.
According to court documents, Christopher Philip Padilla, 33, of Salt Lake City, admitted that between September 2020 and January 2021 he used Facebook Messenger and his cell phone to communicate with a 13-year-old girl. On January 15, 2021, Padilla drove to an area in Salt Lake City intending to meet and engage in sexual activity with the minor. Padilla also admitted that by using Facebook Messenger and his mobile phone, the communications transferred across state lines because they were transported via the internet, a facility of interstate or foreign commerce. In addition to his sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment, Padilla was ordered to a lifetime of supervised release and must register and maintain his information under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department.Assistant U.S. Attorney, Carol Dain, of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Salisbury Man Charged with Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Scott Clark, 40, of Salisbury, Vermont, was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle after Clark’s indictment for possession of a stolen firearm. Clark was ordered detained pending trial.
According to court records, on September 23, 2022, a concerned citizen, who had observed suspicious activity indicative of ongoing burglaries at the Waterhouses Campground in Salisbury, contacted Vermont State Police. The responding trooper encountered Clark and Clark’s female companion at the Waterhouses Campground and in the vicinity of a white Jeep Liberty. Clark gave the trooper the false name “Nathan Clark” and also a false date of birth. During the encounter, Clark was observed putting something in his female companion’s purse and then dropping a black holster to the ground. The companion’s purse was inspected by the trooper and sitting on top of the purse was a black Glock .40 semi-automatic handgun. Records from a local firearm store confirmed the firearm found in the purse was originally purchased by an individual who owns a residence at the Waterhouses Campground. The investigation revealed that Clark had been burglarizing residences at the campground, and while doing so, had stolen the Glock .40 handgun from one of the residences. A subsequent search of the Jeep Liberty revealed additional stolen property, including a spare .40 caliber magazine and box of .40 caliber ammunition which was reported by a campground resident as having been stored with the Glock prior to the burglary.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Clark remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Clark faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Clark is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Bradford Sargent, 41, of Hampton, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sargent and his co-defendant Jennelle Brown sold drugs multiple times from their hotel room in Portsmouth. Law enforcement then searched their room and uncovered large quantities of money, drugs, and drug ledgers. A search of two vehicles the defendants used in their drug operations revealed more money and drugs. Officers also searched storage units and safety deposit boxes the defendants controlled and discovered additional money and drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over $130,000, 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, almost 650 grams of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine.
Sargent is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023. Brown previously pleaded guilty on January 18, 2023, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Strafford County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Jarad Hodes.
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Reno Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno woman who made false statements when she purchased multiple firearms that were bought for her son, a convicted felon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Howard D. McKibben to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
In December 2022, a jury found Gail Manney (48) guilty of illegal acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2021, Manney illegally purchased seven firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee for her son — who is a convicted felon and is prohibited by law from buying and possessing firearms. At the time of purchase, Manney completed a federal firearms transaction form representing that she was the actual buyer of the firearms.
“Buying a firearm for someone who is a prohibited person — be it a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger — is a serious offense and a violation of federal law,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Our office and ATF combine resources to ensure firearms do not end up in the hands of prohibited persons.”
“Straw purchasing is not a victimless crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The act of willfully providing a prohibited person with a firearm by purchasing the firearm on their behalf puts firearms in the hands of criminal organizations and violent criminals which presents a grave threat to the safety of our communities. It is a federal crime to conduct the act of straw purchasing and ATF will continue to work with our prosecutorial partners to ensure that straw purchasers are held accountable.”
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Andrew Keenan prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
If you have information pertaining to illegal firearms activity such as a straw purchase, please contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). Anonymous tips may also be submitted to ATF through the ReportIt mobile app.
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Recidivist Fraudster Pleads Guilty to $40 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANKLIN RAY pled guilty today to four counts of wire fraud, including one count of wire fraud while released under conditions of bail, and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with various fraud schemes relating to his operation of a trucking business known as CSA Business Solutions LLC and another Michigan-based trucking company. RAY, who was previously convicted of wire fraud and bank fraud in the Eastern District of Michigan and was released from prison in 2010, pled guilty before United States District Judge Analisa Torres.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court today, between June 2020 and April 2022, Franklin Ray engaged in four separate fraudulent schemes by lying about the business operations of his purported trucking companies, including two separate PPP frauds and a $40 million Ponzi scheme. Ray continued his crime spree even after he was arrested by federal authorities in March 2022, brazenly defrauding investors in his fake trucking company of nearly $2 million while he was on bail following his arrest. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI and this Office, he is being held accountable for his serial fraudulent conduct.”
As alleged in the previously filed Complaint and Indictment and other court documents:
Beginning in at least June 2021, FRANKLIN RAY began to offer investors an opportunity to invest in his trucking and logistics company, CSA Business Solutions LLC (the “Truck Investment Scheme”). Specifically, RAY and the investors entered into contracts pursuant to which CSA Business Solutions LLC would procure and operate a truck in its trucking business for each $20,000 contributed by the investor. RAY told investors that the trucks would perform delivery services for a multinational e-commerce company and/or a multinational shipping company and that the investors would be entitled to 77% of the net income of the trucks. In reality, CSA Business Solutions LLC operated few trucks and had minimal revenues from trucking activities. Instead, investors in the Truck Investment Scheme received payments from new investments into the scheme or from other sources. After the investors purchased the rights to trucks from CSA Business Solutions LLC, RAY sent them falsified spreadsheets at regular intervals, purporting to show the performance of their trucks during the relevant period. RAY ultimately induced approximately 275 investors to invest at least $40 million and fraudulently claimed to have purchased over 2,000 trucks with the investments.
RAY also pled guilty to carrying out fraudulent schemes to obtain over $1.9 million in government-guaranteed loans designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic on behalf of CSA Business Solutions LLC and another Michigan-based trucking company (the “SBA Loan Fraud Schemes”). In connection with the SBA Loan Fraud Schemes, RAY submitted false information and forged documents to the Small Business Administration and commercial lenders. RAY claimed that these businesses engaged in significant trucking business, but they had minimal revenues and trucking activity.
Finally, RAY pled guilty to fraudulently inducing a New York City-based real estate company (the “Company”) to pay $175,000 in startup costs for a joint venture (the “Join Venture”) between the Company and CSA Business Solutions LLC. RAY misrepresented CSA Business Solutions LLC and his own personal business experience to the Company. Rather than pay for startup costs, RAY spent the funds on personal expenses, including private airplane trips. The Joint Venture was never formed.
RAY was arrested in early March 2022, and a CSA Business Solutions LLC bank account was seized at that time. After his arrest, up until his Indictment in April 2022, RAY continued to operate the Truck Investment Scheme. RAY hid the fact of his arrest and the seizure of the bank account and lied to investors about why he did not make expected payments after his arrest. During the period after his arrest, RAY opened new bank accounts on behalf of CSA Business Solutions LLC and continued to solicit and accept investor funds for trucks that did not exist. In the post-arrest period alone, RAY defrauded investors into paying at least $1.9 million into his scheme.
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RAY, 51, of Canton, Michigan, pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud, including one count of wire fraud while released under conditions of bail and two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The counts of wire fraud while released under conditions of bail and wire fraud affecting a financial institution each carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The remaining count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries an additional mandatory two-year sentence, which must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence. RAY also agreed to forfeit $42,128,912, including the funds on deposit at several bank accounts used in connection with the fraudulent schemes, including the primary CSA Business Solutions bank account. RAY also agreed to pay restitution to the victims.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. RAY is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:40 a.m. on July 25, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weinberg is in charge of the prosecution.
If you believe you have been a victim of the schemes described above, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or [email protected].
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Real Estate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Rashidun Bokhari pleaded guilty to wire fraud stemming from a purported real estate investment scheme. Bokhari was arrested in October 2022. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen. When sentenced, Bokhari faces up to 20 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
As set forth in court filings, between September 2015 and April 2018, Bokhari induced the victim to invest approximately $935,000 in four different real estate properties located in Long Island City and Astoria in Queens. Bokhari falsely claimed that in exchange for his investment in the purported real estate transactions, the victim investor would receive a 50 percent ownership in the properties. Bokhari fabricated real estate transaction documents which he provided to the victim investor. After receiving almost $1 million, the defendant misappropriated the money for his own personal use, including transferring funds overseas, making mortgage and life insurance payments, and withdrawing cash from ATMs. As part of his plea agreement, Bokhari has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $935,000 to the victim.
The government’s investigation also revealed that between December 20, 2020 and May 2022, Bokhari engaged in a separate scheme to defraud two additional victims in Queens. As part of his plea agreement, Bohkari has agreed to pay these two victims restitution in the amount of $191,100.
Bokhari’s victims are of Bengali descent and he exploited their shared ethnic background in furtherance of his schemes.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of a crime committed by Bokhari is asked to contact the United States Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/report-crime
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Bowman is in charge of the prosecution and the investigation was led by Special Agent Martin Sullivan of the Eastern District of New York.
The Defendant:
RASHIDUN BOKHARI
Age: 57
Astoria, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-58 (PKC)
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to over Thirteen Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Emmanuel Martinez Vega, 27, of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, has been sentenced to serve more than thirteen years in federal prison followed by five years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe by removing addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence demonstrates our commitment to support their efforts through the investigation and vigorous prosecution of criminals who would bring drugs into North Florida.”
In May 2021, local investigators received information regarding a drug trafficker receiving large quantities of cocaine through the mail from Puerto Rico. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service worked in concert with the local investigators to further identify the conspirators and establish a historical record of the cocaine-laded parcels being shipped to Gainesville from Puerto Rico. As a result of the combined investigative efforts, Vega was held accountable for trafficking approximately 129 kilograms of cocaine between 2018 and June 2022. Authorities were able to seize a total of 12 kilograms of cocaine and tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the investigation.
“Ridding our communities of this poison and ensuring the safety and health of our citizens is one of DEA’s top priorities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The success of this investigation is a direct result of the tireless efforts of these dedicated investigators and highlights our continued commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our Florida communities.”
“We will continue to work with our partners to take deadly drugs off our streets,” said Miami Division U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Inspector in Charge Juan Vargas. “Preventing the use of the nation’s mail system for illegal activities or illicit gains is a primary focus of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.”
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Elsey prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Plant City Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Michael Conover (32, Plant City) to 20 years in federal prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Conover was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Conover to forfeit an Apple iPhone, which was used in the commission of the offense. Restitution will be determined at a later time. Conover had pleaded guilty on September 1, 2022.
According to court documents, federal agents received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a user on a social media platform distributing images and videos of minors engaged in sexual activity. That same user was also the subject of an additional cyber tip which referenced the hands-on abuse of a child. Federal agents executed a search warrant on Conover’s cellphone and social media accounts and discovered that Conover had sent, received, and viewed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse.
“This predator traded child sexual abuse material of very young children online and has caused irreparable harm to his victims,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The abhorrent actions of child predators will not go undetected, and thanks to the painstaking, tireless efforts of the HSI Special Agents, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service, he will be held accountable for his actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison after Admitting He Destroyed a Police Vehicle and Smashed Bank Windows during Protests in DowntownRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A Pittsburgh resident pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and bank burglary in connection with the downtown Pittsburgh protest on May 30, 2020, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Devin Montgomery, 27, formerly of Birmingham Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 pleaded guilty to two counts before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on May 30, 2020, a protest march was held in the downtown Pittsburgh area. The march was related primarily to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police. The march in Pittsburgh began at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Liberty Avenue in the downtown area, and eventually finished at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Centre Avenue near the intersection with Washington Place above the PPG Paints Arena. At that time, many of the participants were agitated, and members of the crowd began to vandalize a marked Pittsburgh Police vehicle (Unit 3212) on Centre Avenue. The crowd eventually set that vehicle on fire and it was totally destroyed.
Shortly after the Unit 3212 was set afire, the crowd turned around and began to walk back down Washington Place toward a line of police officers in riot gear. After a brief standoff, the police decided to avoid physical confrontation with the crowd and left the area. However, one of the police vehicles (the unmarked vehicle which is the subject of the charge in the Information) was left unattended, parked at the curb near the Fifth Avenue entrance of the PPG Paints Arena. After the police vacated the area, the crowd immediately descended upon that vehicle and began to vandalize it.
Videos obtained during the investigation show a male wearing a number 84 Antonio Brown Steelers jersey near the open rear passenger door of the unmarked vehicle. The person in the Antonio Brown shirt had the same body build, skin tone and facial hair as Devin Montgomery. He also had the same unique tattoo of a black bomb on his left elbow as Devin Montgomery. At one point during one of the videos, the man’s COVID type mask slips below his nose, displaying a facial profile that appears to be identical to Montgomery’s profile. In a jail call from Montgomery to one of his friends on the outside, after Montgomery was detained in May of 2021, Montgomery discusses his frustration about being detained, and says “it’s just property damage, it’s not like I hurt someone.”
Video footage of the scene showed that, as Montgomery stands near the unmarked vehicle, there was an unknown male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and facemask standing right next to him. They were each holding and igniting items in their own hands. The unknown male had a small container of lighter fluid in one hand.
The unknown male was first to toss his lit item into the backseat area of the unmarked vehicle, and then Montgomery tossed his own lit item into the backseat area immediately thereafter. The fire quickly spread in the interior of the vehicle, and eventually completely destroyed the vehicle. After the second police vehicle was burned, many people from the crowd headed back into downtown, where numerous businesses were vandalized, burglarized, and looted. The Dollar Bank on Smithfield Street was one of those victim businesses. The government has video depicting Montgomery and another individual using rocks to smash the windows and glass entrance doors to Dollar Bank, and then enter the vestibule area between the two sets of doors.
Following the guilty plea, Judge Hornak sentenced Montgomery to four years' incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to cover the cost of the police vehicle that was destroyed.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives as well as the Bureau of Pittsburgh Police for conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Montgomery.
Operation "Candyland" Leads to Multiple Drug Arrests in Marianna and Forrest CityRead the Press Release
MARIANNA—A coordinated arrest operation took place this morning in Marianna and Forrest City as part of an ongoing federal drug investigation. Dubbed “Operation Candyland,” this investigation by the FBI, Arkansas State Police, the First Judicial Drug Task Force, and the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office, focused on individual independent distributors of methamphetamine and cocaine in Lee and St. Francis Counties.
Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for six suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal drug-trafficking crimes. Two others, who were already in custody when this morning’s roundup began, were also indicted. Five of the suspects were taken into custody: Eddie Bonner, 27, of Marianna, is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine; Lance Hendrix, 39, of Marianna, is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine; Leonard People, 26, of Marianna, is charged with one count of distribution of cocaine; Cedric Woods, 46, of Marianna, is charged with two counts of distribution of cocaine; and Jeremy Buchanan, 32, of Forrest City, is charged with one count of distribution of cocaine. Alfred Bonner, 28, of Marianna, and Clenton Wofford, 42, of Pine Bluff, are in custody stemming from unrelated criminal charges. Alfred Bonner is charged federally, along with Eddie Bonner, with drug conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine. Wofford is charged federally with one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Most of the defendants who were arrested this morning will appear tomorrow afternoon for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
An indictment only contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
North Carolina Man Charged with $7 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A North Carolina man was indicted today on wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering charges related to a $7 million investment fraud Ponzi scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
David Schamens, 65, of Greensboro, North Carolina, is charged by indictment with seven counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, and seven counts of money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Starting in 2014, Schamens fraudulently solicited investments in various entities he controlled, including TD Trading LLC, TFG Trading Fund LLC, Tradestream Analytics LTD, Tradedesk Financial Group Inc., and others, under the promise of annual rates of return of 12 to 30 percent. In 2019, Schamens began to solicit investment in Tradestream Algo Fund, an algorithm-based trading pool that he claimed to have developed. In each instance, Schamens directed investors to wire funds directly or to transfer portions of their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to bank accounts he controlled.
Schamens often moved victim funds through several different bank accounts before he ultimately used the funds for some non-investment related purpose. Schamens took several steps to keep his customers’ trust, including sending false account statements; posting false monthly account statements to his companies’ websites showing balances for trading accounts that did not exist; and sending false tax documents reporting earnings that did not exist.
Schamens allegedly misappropriated $7 million from at least 25 different individuals, using some of that money to repay earlier investors in the manner of a Ponzi scheme, and to pay personal expenses.
The count of wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The count of securities fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million. The count of money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Torntore, chief of the Cybercrime Unit, and Sophie E. Reiter of the Cybercrime Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
schamens.indictment.pdfNew Orleans Man Sentenced for Carjacking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MERVIN BAILEY, age 20, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today for carjacking and attempted carjacking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119 and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
BAILEY was sentenced to a total term of imprisonment of 147 months. This consists of 63 months each, to be served concurrently, for a carjacking on June 3, 2021, which occurred outside of a residence in New Orleans and an attempted carjacking of a Lyft driver on October 4, 2021 in New Orleans. A consecutive 84-month sentence was ordered for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Additionally, the defendant must serve a three-year term of supervised release and pay a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Strauss of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – LAIRD JOHNSON, age 24, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023 to a five-count indictment alleging violations of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 922(j), 922(u), 924(a)(2), and 924(i)(1), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Count 1 of the indictment charged JOHNSON with theft of a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee (“FFL”), Counts 2 through 4 charged him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and Count 5 charged him with possession of a stolen firearm. Court documents reveal JOHNSON did unlawfully take and carry away a Glock Model 19X 9mm semi-automatic handgun from the premises of PDW Solutions, LLC, an FFL on June 19, 2021. He further possessed a firearm on July 23, 2021. During a search of his home on August 10, 2021, three firearms were recovered, including a Zastava Arms 7.62 Rifle, a Glock Model 19 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and the Glock Model 19X 9mm semi-automatic handgun, that was stolen from PDW Solutions, LLC. JOHNSON is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and simple burglary.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Strauss of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Navy Doctor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the NavyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 28, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Dr. Michael Villarroel, a U.S. Navy doctor, pleaded guilty today in federal court, admitting that he and others conspired to defraud the Navy by faking or exaggerating injuries to obtain insurance payments intended to help service members recovering from traumatic injuries. Villarroel acknowledged he knew the claimed injuries were false or exaggerated but signed off on applications for a share of the insurance payments.
Participants in the scheme obtained about $2 million in payments from the Traumatic Servicemembers Groups Life Insurance (TSGLI) program which is funded by service members and the Navy. Villarroel personally obtained more than $180,000 in kickbacks.
“These military healthcare dollars, which were intended to benefit injured and traumatized service members, instead funded a fraudulent windfall,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our agency partners will relentlessly pursue justice for victims of fraud schemes that harm our service members and taxpayers.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
Villarroel admitted that from 2012 to at least December 2015, he conspired to commit wire fraud with Christopher Toups, a chief petty officer construction mechanic in the Navy; Kelene Meyer, Toups’ spouse and a nurse; and others. Toups prodded other service members to submit claims, told them to provide medical records to Meyer, requested part of the insurance payment in return, and distributed shares to Meyer and Villarroel. Meyer used her medical background to falsify or doctor supporting records to reflect fake or exaggerated injuries.
Villarroel claimed to have reviewed medical records and verified disabilities consistent with the injuries as needed for claims to be processed and qualify. At times Villarroel supported his determination by falsely stating he interviewed the claimant. At other times Villarroel gave Meyer medical records belonging to others to use in fabricating claims. Toups paid Villarroel in cash and by cashier’s check and, at points, Villarroel conducted transactions in amounts under $10,000 to evade currency transaction reporting requirements.
Villarroel is the tenth defendant to plead guilty to crimes committed under the scheme. Several conspirators were members of Explosive Ordinance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit One (“EOD ESU One”), based in Coronado, California.
“Dr. Villarroel defrauded the Navy and the U.S. taxpayer by participating in a reprehensible scheme to wrongly obtain more than $2 million that should have been directed to wounded service members,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael D. Butler II of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to investigating all allegations of fraud that harms Department of the Navy service members and their families.”
“Dr. Villarroel abused his position of trust to enrich himself and his co-conspirators,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “As a medical doctor and Naval Commander, Dr. Villarroel is held to a higher standard which makes this scheme to defraud the Traumatic Service Members Group Life Insurance program even more egregious. The FBI would like to thank our partners at Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General and Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their tremendous partnership on this case.”
“Fraudulently filing claims for unearned TSGLI benefits diverts compensation from deserving service members who suffered serious and debilitating injuries while on active duty,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebeccalynn Staples of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in bringing this defendant to justice.”
Villarroel is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16 at 9 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
DEFENDANT 18CR1674-JLS
Michael Villarroel 48 Coronado, California
RELATED CASES
Kelene Meyer 18CR1674-JLS 44 Jacksonville, FL
Christopher Toups 18CR1674-JLS 43 Woodstock, GA
Paul Craig 18CR1674-JLS 47 Austin, TX
Richard Cote 18CR1674-JLS 45 Oceanside, CA
Earnest Thompson 18CR1674-JLS 46 Murrieta, CA
Ronald Olmsted 20CR0659-JLS 48 Mobile, AL
Anthony Coco 20CR0197-JLS 43 San Diego, CA
Stephen Mulholland 20CR0052-JLS 51 Panama City Beach, FL
Roy Sedano 21CR1493-JLS 44 Spring Valley, CA
CHARGES
18 U.S.C. § 1349, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution
AGENCIES
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Minnesota Pool Contractor Charged in Federal Indictment for Defrauding HomeownersRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Scott County man has been indicted on four counts of wire fraud for defrauding multiple homeowners in a swimming pool contracting scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Charles Ray Workman, 37, was the owner of MN Crete Pools, LLC, a Minnesota company that marketed and sold concrete swimming pools to families and individuals in and throughout the Twin Cities area. Beginning in 2021 continuing through 2022, Workman knowingly devised a scheme to market and advertise concrete swimming pools and pool installation services to customers around Minnesota. In soliciting down payments for the swimming pools, Workman represented to his customers that in exchange for their down payments he could “secure” their spot in MN Crete Pool’s workload for the installation of a swimming pool the same year their down payment was provided.
According to court documents, between April 2021 and June 2021, Workman collected down payments from approximately one customer a month and subsequently failed to complete pool projects for any of those customers. Despite this, Workman increased the rate at which he signed up customers and collected down payments throughout the remaining summer months, despite knowing he had not fully utilized customer down payments for the completion of pool projects. Workman sometimes falsely represented to customers he only had one spot left available for a certain customer, before continuing to solicit and signup customers after making that representation.
According to court documents, Workman converted some or all of customers’ payments for his own personal use and benefit, including $3,000 in child support payments, $18,000 at a casino, and more than $6,000 on a horse and saddle. In total, Workman fraudulently solicited and received more than $750,000 in payments from customers for whom he did not construct and install a complete and operational concrete swimming pool.
Workman, who was arrested on March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Alistair E. Newbern, in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Tennessee. He will appear for his arraignment on April 10, 2023, before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Soria Mignanelli is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Midwest Veterinary Supply Pleads Guilty to Misbranding Veterinary DrugsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Midwest Veterinary Supply (Midwest), a Minnesota-based company that supplies prescription drugs for animals to veterinarians, farms, feedlots, and other businesses, pled guilty today to introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and agreed to pay more than $10 million in criminal fines and forfeiture.
“The Department of Justice will continue to ensure that all companies follow federal laws regarding distribution of prescription drugs,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today. “In this case, millions of dollars were obtained from the illegal distribution of veterinary medicine and, just like pharmaceuticals intended for human-use, my Office will continue to hold accountable those companies and corporations that violate federal law.”
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health. Part of this responsibility includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to evade the law.”
According to court documents, from 2011-2021, Midwest shipped prescription drugs from their non-pharmacy locations throughout the United States to end-users that were not authorized to receive prescription drugs. Shipments from non-pharmacy locations to end-users and shipments to non-authorized locations are deemed misbranded. Midwest shipped at least $10,150,014 worth of misbranded drugs to end-users between 2011-2021. The law violated is designed, in part, to ensure that prescription drugs are kept within a controlled chain of distribution to prevent diversion and inappropriate use.
As part of the plea agreement, Midwest will forfeit $10,150,014 and serve between one and three years’ probation. Midwest will also pay $1,000,000 to the Virginia Department of Health Professions, and a $500,000 fine. Midwest is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2022, in United States District Court in Abingdon.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Virginia State Police investigated the case, with the assistance of the Virginia Department of Health Professions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 144 Months for Drug Trafficking in the Tri CitiesRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – On March 28, 2023, Senior United States District Judge Edward F. Shea sentenced Rafael Muniz-De La Mora, 49, to 12 years in in federal prison after his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Muniz-De La Mora, who is from Sinaloa, Mexico, also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from federal custody.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, the DEA Tri-Cities Task Force identified Muniz-De La Mora and his Codefendant, Carlos Madrigal-Deniz, during an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Tri-Cities area. Madrigal-Deniz was brokering pound quantity transactions for the drug trafficking organization, which routinely was distributing 100 to 200 pound shipments of methamphetamine into the Eastern Washington. During the investigation, De La Mora was identified as Madrigal-Deniz’s supplier.
In September 2020, Madrigal-Deniz made arrangements for a ten-pound delivery of methamphetamine from Muniz-De La Mora, who brought a four-year-old child to the transaction. The child was wearing a Spider-Man backpack containing approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Muniz-De La Mora escorted the young child, who is seen wearing the backpack, from one vehicle to another. Muniz-De La Mora, the child, and another co-defendant then entered into the second vehicle – a Chevy Cruze. Shortly, thereafter, DEA Tri-Cities stopped the Chevy Cruze and recovered the backpack, which was inside the car, next to the child. Inside the Spider-Man Backpack, the DEA recovered 10 pounds of methamphetamine supplied by Muniz-De La Mora. Below are still shots from surveillance video of the transaction. Muniz-De La Mora appears in a black t-shirt.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated “Drug distribution continues to be a scourge in the Tri-Cities and elsewhere. It is particularly troubling that Mr. Muniz-De La Mora used a four-year old child to conceal his distribution activities”
U.S. Attorney Waldref continued: “I commend the collaborative efforts of state, local, and federal law enforcement to identify Mr. Muniz-De La Mora’s drug trafficking activities and to prevent him from further distributing this poison in our community. The people of Eastern Washington also are incredibly fortunate to be represented in federal court by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter, who spearheads federal drug prosecutions in the Tri-Cities and elsewhere in this District.”
“Mr. Muniz-De La Mora, an individual who involved a four-year-old in his drug distribution scheme, will spend a significant amount of time in prison due to the dedication of our state, local and federal partners who continue to work to keep our communities safe, healthy and free of individuals like him,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
This case was investigated by the DEA Tri-Cities, the METRO Drug Task Force, United States Border Patrol, Richland Police Department, Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, and West Richland Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
4:20-CR-6028-EFS
Matriarch Sentenced for Role in Violent Multimillion-Dollar Honduran Cocaine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Honduran woman was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a large-scale conspiracy to traffic cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, from 2006 until 2015, Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla, aka Chinda, 62, served as a leader in the Montes-Bobadilla drug-trafficking organization, or Los Montes, one of the most significant drug-trafficking organizations operating in Honduras. The Los Montes drug-trafficking organization was based in the town of Francia on the northeastern coast of Honduras. There, the organization received clandestine maritime and air shipments of cocaine from sources in South America. Individual shipments of cocaine usually carried hundreds of – and sometimes more than a thousand – kilograms of cocaine. After receiving a shipment of cocaine, Los Montes worked with other drug traffickers to transport the cocaine inland through Honduras into Guatemala and, eventually, Mexico, where the cocaine would then be imported into, and distributed within, the United States.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding traffickers like Ramos-Bobadilla accountable and dismantling the trafficking organizations they support,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and international partners to ensure that our communities are kept safe.”
Ramos-Bobadilla played an active leadership role in Los Montes. Among other responsibilities, she participated in the negotiation of cocaine transactions with other drug traffickers in Central and South America, managed the proceeds that the organization made from the sale of cocaine and, at times, paid sources of supply for cocaine that Los Montes purchased. Ramos-Bobadilla employed armed individuals to work at her direction and control, including by providing security for her and her cocaine shipments.
“The defendant and her family lead a dangerous drug cartel that brought thousands of kilograms of poisonous drugs into the United States from Honduras and left murder, corruption, violence, and terror in its wake. EDVA prioritizes the investigation, dismantling, and prosecution of organizations like The Los Montes cartel that destroy communities across nations,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Today’s sentence would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to stop illicit drugs and violence from infiltrating our neighborhoods.”
Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in procuring, planning, and arranging acts of violence, including murders, in furtherance of the conspiracy. For example, Los Montes and other Honduran drug-trafficking organizations conspired to finance the murder of the head of Honduras’ anti-drug trafficking agency in December 2009. In June 2013, along with her son, Noe Montes-Bobadilla, and another co-conspirator, Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in coordinating and directing the murder of a permanent resident of the United States in Tocoa, Honduras, in retaliation for perceived cooperation with the U.S. government.
In addition to her participation in these acts of violence, Ramos-Bobadilla engaged in bribery in furtherance of the conspiracy. Ramos-Bobadilla and her co-conspirators made payments to public officials in Honduras, including police officers and other law enforcement officials, to facilitate and protect the family’s drug-trafficking operations.
“The Montes-Bobadilla Drug Trafficking Organization terrorized and poisoned communities under Ramos-Bobadilla’s leadership,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the capabilities and commitment by DEA to ensure that any domestic or foreign criminal who peddles deadly drugs into our neighborhoods and puts our families at risk will be held accountable.”
“Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla played a leadership role in a major operation trafficking narcotics into and distributing them throughout the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “There is no way to know for sure just how much damage Ramos-Bobadilla left in her wake; however, thanks to the collaborative efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Ramos-Bobadilla’s drug trafficking days are over now. HSI will continue to exhaust every resource at our disposal to bring such drug traffickers to justice and ensure the safety of the communities we have sworn to protect.”
On Oct. 8, 2015, Ramos-Bobadilla and five co-conspirators were charged by indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. Three of Ramos-Bobadilla’s co-conspirators have been convicted and sentenced in this case:
Noe Montes-Bobadilla was sentenced in April 2019 to 37 years in prison.
Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo was sentenced in May 2019 to 33 years in prison.
Jose del Trancito Garcia-Teruel was sentenced in February 2022 to 13 years in prison.
One co-conspirator, Tito Montes-Bobadilla, aka Alejandro Montes-Bobadilla, aka Pimpi, is deceased.
The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) supported this case.
The DEA Washington Division investigated the case with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) HSI Washington, D.C., and the Virginia State Police. The Honduran National Police and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Janet Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler, Anthony T. Aminoff, and James L. Trump of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of New York, the Middle District of Florida, and the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.
Matriarch Sentenced for Role in Violent Multimillion-Dollar Honduran Cocaine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran woman was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for her participation in a large-scale conspiracy to traffic cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, from 2006 until 2015, Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla, aka Chinda, 62, served as a leader in the Montes-Bobadilla drug-trafficking organization, or Los Montes, one of the largest drug-trafficking organizations then operating in Honduras. The Los Montes drug-trafficking organization was family-run and based in the town of Francia on the northeastern coast of Honduras. There, the organization received maritime and clandestine air shipments of cocaine from sources in South America. Individual shipments of cocaine usually carried hundreds of – and sometimes more than a thousand – kilograms of cocaine. After receiving a shipment of cocaine, Los Montes worked with other drug traffickers to transport the cocaine inland through Honduras into Guatemala and, eventually, Mexico, where the cocaine would then be imported into, and distributed within, the United States.
“The defendant and her family lead a dangerous drug cartel that brought thousands of kilograms of poisonous drugs into the U.S. from Honduras and left murder, corruption, violence, and terror in its wake. EDVA prioritizes the investigation, dismantling, and prosecution of organizations like The Los Montes cartel that destroy communities across nations,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Today’s sentence would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to stop illicit drugs and violence from infiltrating our neighborhoods.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding traffickers like Romas-Bobadilla accountable and dismantling the trafficking organizations they support,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and international partners to ensure that our communities are kept safe.”
Ramos-Bobadilla played an active leadership role in Los Montes. Among other responsibilities, she participated in the negotiation of cocaine transactions with other drug traffickers in Central and South America, managed the proceeds that the organization made from the sale of cocaine and, at times, paid sources of supply for cocaine that Los Montes purchased. Ramos-Bobadilla employed armed individuals to work at her direction and control, including by providing security for her and her cocaine shipments.
Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in procuring, planning, and arranging acts of violence, including murders, in furtherance of the conspiracy. For example, Los Montes and other Honduran drug-trafficking organizations conspired to finance the murder of the head of Honduras’ anti-drug trafficking agency in December 2009. In June 2013, along with her son, Noe Montes-Bobadilla, and another co-conspirator, Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in coordinating and directing the murder of a permanent resident of the United States in Tocoa, Honduras, in retaliation for perceived cooperation with the U.S. government.
In addition to her participation in these acts of violence, Ramos-Bobadilla engaged in bribery in furtherance of the conspiracy. Ramos-Bobadilla and her co-conspirators made payments to public officials in Honduras, including police officers and other law enforcement officials, to facilitate and protect the family’s drug-trafficking operations.
“The Montes-Bobadilla Drug Trafficking Organization terrorized and poisoned communities under Ramos-Bobadilla’s leadership,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Field Division. “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the capabilities and commitment by DEA to ensure that any domestic or foreign criminal who peddles deadly drugs into our neighborhoods and puts our families at risk will be held accountable.”
On Oct. 8, 2015, Ramos-Bobadilla and five co-conspirators were charged by indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. Three of Ramos-Bobadilla’s co-conspirators have been convicted and sentenced in this case:
Noe Montes-Bobadilla was sentenced in April 2019 to 37 years in prison. Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo was sentenced in May 2019 to 33 years in prison. Jose del Trancito Garcia-Teruel was sentenced in February 2022 to 13 years in prison. One co-conspirator, Tito Montes-Bobadilla, aka Alejandro Montes-Bobadilla, aka Pimpi, is deceased.
The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) supported this case.
The DEA Washington Division investigated the case with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Virginia State Police. The Honduran National Police also provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ramos-Bobadilla.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler, Anthony T. Aminoff, and James L. Trump of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Janet Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York, the Middle District of Florida, and the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-290.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Ten Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in New Hampshire, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
Johan M. Rodriguez, 37, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, conspired with another Lawrence-based drug trafficker to deliver approximately ten kilograms of fentanyl to an individual in Dover cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Major Offender Task Force investigated the case. The Dover Police Department and the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis, Deputy Chief of Young’s Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Man Sentenced to 292 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE-Hector Castaneda, age 60, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady on his plea of guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Castaneda was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case and in related cases, from March of 2010 through April of 2011, Castaneda, also known as “El Pariente” conspired to distribute many kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into Allen County, Indiana, and elsewhere. Castaneda was indicted in 2012, and he remained a fugitive in Mexico until he was arrested in 2017.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, with the members being the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Other law enforcement agencies providing assistance were the Allen County Drug Task Force, the New Haven Police Department, and the San Bernardino County, California, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Man Convicted for Two Armed Robberies Is Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced Travon Roary, 37, of Charlotte, to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing two armed robberies, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on November 24, 2021, CMPD officers responded to a 911 call for an armed robbery at Bowl 77 Arcade located at 2301 Westinghouse Blvd. in Charlotte. The arcade employee told the officers that an individual later identified as Roary had pointed a firearm at her and proceeded to take cash from the store’s registers.
According to filed court documents and proceedings, a few days later, on November 28, 2021, CMPD officers responded to a 911 call for an armed robbery at Z’s Tobacco & Vape store located at 8424 Old Statesville Road in Charlotte. The store employee told officers that two men had walked into the store. One of them, later identified as Roary, asked the store clerk if he could buy a cigarette. Court records show that Roary then came behind the counter, pulled out a black handgun, and pointed it at the victim as the victim was trying to walk away. Roary told the victim not to run or Roary would shoot him. Roary forced the victim back to the cash register, where Roary and his armed co-conspirator took money and fled.
On December 8, 2022, Roary pleaded to two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce, also referred to as Hobbs Act robbery. Roary has previous state convictions for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, second-degree kidnapping, second-degree burglary, and assault by strangulation.
Roary is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King credited today’s sentence to the investigative efforts of the FBI and CMPD.
Assistant United States Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Madison Man Charged with Firebombing BuildingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Madison, Wisconsin man was arrested today on a charge related to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building.
According to court documents, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. Roychowdhury was arrested earlier today in Boston, Massachusetts.
“According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.”
“This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”
Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said, “For months, our detectives remained committed to finding those responsible for this arson. When tips and leads were limited, they never gave up. Their persistence is proof that hateful acts do not have a place in Madison. I applaud their work and want to thank our federal partners for all of their help leading up to this arrest.”
“I’m very proud of the tireless and determined efforts the combined federal, state and local team put in to identify and arrest this individual,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge William McCrary of the St. Paul Field Division. “I can assure you, our ATF Certified Fire Investigator invested long hours into this case. It is very satisfying to me to see that this alleged perpetrator has been placed in custody.”
“The FBI conducts investigations when someone crosses the line from expression of protected personal beliefs to violations of federal law,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “We remained vigilant during this investigation and worked with our law enforcement partners to methodically and thoroughly address every aspect of this act of violence. The arrest today represents these efforts and highlights the work done by law enforcement to protect the safety of our citizens.”
According to the complaint, on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison, Wisconsin. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window; the jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top; the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant. Outside of the building, someone spray painted on one wall, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and, on another wall, a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.” During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. Local police officers observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can; the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual.
In March 2023, Roychowdhury travelled from Madison, Wisconsin, to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, departing Tuesday morning, March 28, 2023. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport. Roychowdhury will have a detention hearing in Boston.
Roychowdhury is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston today. A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set.
If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, ATF, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the appearance in Boston.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lebanese National Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KAMAL AL JAWHARI, age 28, a native of Lebanon, was sentenced for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section. 922 (g)(5)(A) announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
JAWHARI was found guilty as charged on December 20, 2022, after a two-day jury trial before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. JAWHARI was sentenced to time served and released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. Judge Brown also ordered that the JAWHARI serve a supervised release term of one year should he return to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit, David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit, and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Leader of Human Smuggling Transportation Cell Sentenced to 51 months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 28, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Jose Manuel Gonzalez was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 51 months in prison for two unrelated human smuggling incidents - the first of which was committed in 2019 and the second in 2021 while the defendant was on supervised release for the 2019 charges.
According to his plea agreement, in the late evening of July 5, 2019, Border Patrol agents caught Gonzalez as he was transporting eight individuals in a minivan after they crossed the border illegally from Mexico. Gonzalez was charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, granted bail on that offense, and remained out of custody. Agents and the United States Attorney’s Office continued to investigate Gonzalez’ activities.
After reviewing Gonzalez’ cellphone records around the day of the offense, the prosecution team discovered that Gonzalez was communicating with unknown co-conspirators in Mexico and a “foot guide” who was responsible for guiding the illegal individuals over the U.S.-Mexico border. The purpose of Gonzalez’ communications with the unknown co-conspirators and the “foot guide” was to avoid law enforcement detection. After further investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office added charges alleging that Gonzalez conspired with others to bring aliens into the U.S. for financial gain.
While on bail, on June 18, 2021, Gonzalez was again caught and arrested for transporting 12 illegal aliens in the back of a pickup truck into the United States. Customs and Border Protection agents attempted to stop Gonzalez, but Gonzalez disregarded emergency lights and sirens and led them on a high speed chase, narrowly avoiding at least one vehicle and a possible head-on collision during the pursuit. The undocumented individuals remained hidden in the back of the pickup truck as Gonzalez attempted to evade agents during the high-speed chase. As a result of this incident, Gonzalez was charged with additional counts alleging the transportation of illegal aliens, plus a count alleging that Gonzalez committed the June 18, 2021 acts while Gonzalez was on Court-ordered pretrial release.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel sentenced Gonzalez to 36 months on the human smuggling offenses, plus an additional 15 months for committing the June 2021 offense while on pretrial release, for a total of 51 months in prison. The sentence also included enhanced penalties for the substantial risk that Gonzalez’ high-speed chase caused; the illegal transportation of a minor; and an aggravated role within the transportation cell’s Alien Smuggling activities.
“This defendant committed the same crime again after he was caught and released on bond,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This case is more proof that human smugglers care only about money and have zero regard for the safety and well-being of their customers. Please, never trust your life to a smuggler.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.
“This prosecution is a result of the continued dedication by our agents, and our partners in the U.S. Attorney's office,” said San Diego Border Patrol Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “We will continue to deliver consequences to the transnational criminal organization operating throughout border region.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 20-cr-03446-GPC
Jose Manuel Gonzalez Age: 31 Spring Valley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371;
Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii);
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count, with a mandatory minimum of three years for the counts under § 1324.
Transportation and Attempted Transportation of Certain Aliens for Financial Gain, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (a)(1)(B)(i);
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.
AGENCY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Border Patrol
*This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Lawrence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing more than 100 grams of fentanyl.
Rafael Sierra-Baez, 42, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Sierra-Baez pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On five separate occasions between Feb. 22, 2022 and May 4, 2022, Sierra-Baez sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Methuen. Sierra-Baez coordinated and arranged all five deals and personally met with the cooperating witness to conduct the hand-to-hand transactions. On one occasion, Sierra-Baez was observed returning to his residence with a young child before exiting a few minutes later to conduct the drug deal. In total, Sierra-Baez sold about 120 grams of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.